Blog SpaceX’s Starship Conducts 150 Meter Launch and Land

SpaceX’s next-generation rocket had a successful hop Tuesday, traveling 150 meters (~500 feet) into the sky before landing down at the company’s facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

The prototype of SpaceX’s Starship advances the design of the vehicle that will transport humans to the Moon and Mars. Tuesday’s experiment used the largest version of the spaceship tested to date. A single Raptor engine lifted the spaceship. The Raptor has about two times the thrust of the Merlin 1D engine that powers the current Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

SpaceX shared a video of the test flight, including a shot of the rocket’s legs unfolding for the successful landing.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290854457136181248

SpaceX says Starship will eventually stand nearly 400 feet high and 30 feet wide. The company says the spaceship could carry as many as 100 people to Mars.

The flight of the “SN5” prototype was a significant milestone for SpaceX. Musk said next steps for the program will include more short hops, then an attempt at a high-altitude flight.

Photo: SpaceX/YouTube

 

[elf9]

Outstanding!! ... loved the view of the gimbaled nozzle.

Strange to see a huge stainless steel flying cylinder, though LOL ... can't wait to see future hop tests.

 

[Xepa777]

Absolutely wild to watch that in real time. Can't believe it didn't blow up flying crooked basically. It's as Elon said, "Mars is looking real." Starship is THE ship that will get us there. This is the moment.

 

[adiggs]

Outstanding!! ... loved the view of the gimbaled nozzle.

Strange to see a huge stainless steel flying cylinder, though LOL ... can't wait to see future hop tests.

Look ma! A flying water tower!

 

[doug]

FYI, there's also discussion about the successful hop test in the main Starship thread:
Falcon Super Heavy/Starship - General Development Discussion

 

[Patrick W]

Since SpaceX uses modern units of measure suggest changing the title of the thread to "SpaceX's Starship Conducts 150 meter Launch and Land"

 

[ecarfan]

Since SpaceX uses modern units of measure suggest changing the title of the thread to "SpaceX's Starship Conducts 150 meter Launch and Land"

Agreed. This is the 21st century, and SpaceX is of course 100% metric units because that is the rational, sensible system to use...

 

[Patrick W]

Agreed. This is the 21st century, and SpaceX is of course 100% metric units because that is the rational, sensible system to use...

Ha! I wasn't expecting to be agreed with. Still I fear we're going to have to wait for my fellow old people to die off before we catch up with the rest of the world (at least in that regard).

 

[hdolgin]

This is a phenomenal feat of engineering. Can't wait for those next steps, and to actually see a person set foot on Mars.

 

[doug]

@Patrick W Agreed on the units. I pointed it out to the blog guy (who tends to follow the AP style guide) when it posted. Has since been updated.

 

[Patrick W]

@Patrick W Agreed on the units. I pointed it out to the blog guy (who tends to follow the AP style guide) when it posted. Has since been updated.

Excellent! Thanks for doing that. And to the blogger for correcting it.

Note the license plate. (No not a Tesla. My other cars are Teslas but I picked up this one at the factory while living in Deutschland 48 years ago and just care bear to part with it.)

 

[Electroman]

Ha! I wasn't expecting to be agreed with. Still I fear we're going to have to wait for my fellow old people to die off before we catch up with the rest of the world (at least in that regard).

Funny and true..